PHISH FRIDAY: Phishtradamus Gives His Setlist Prediction for the Oklahoma City Zoo Show

On August 29th, 2012, Phish will play an all animal-themed spectacle at the Oklahoma City Zoo that shall henceforth be known as #FARMHENDGE.

Crazy, you might say? Let’s take a look at the #facts…

Last year at the first night of Dick’s in Colorado Phish wowed their audience with the “S” show, two full sets and an encore featuring songs that start with the letter S only. Once everyone caught on that the band knew what was happening, set two anticipation was through the roof. Won’t it to be obvious to the band that they’re playing a zoo and play up that fact a little bit? The band has never been one to shy away from referencing the surroundings when they play a show and this is definitely the first time the band has played at a Zoo. Cue the obvious mention of “Slave to the Traffic Light” — “See the city, see the zoo, traffic light won’t let me through…” — and we could get that as the opener of the show, which would be the first since like 1988. Or maybe the band will go with an obvious choice to fit the predicted theme of the night and start the show with “Farmhouse” and save “Slave to the Traffic Light” for the encore slot after they run through two other quick and obvious choices. Let’s break it down a bit more…

There are obvious song contenders with titles about specific animals: Ocelot, Llama, The Sloth, The Lizards, Vultures, Possum, Sleeping Monkey, The Horse, Run Like An Antelope, Fly Famous Mockingbird, Shaggy Dog. Then there are the indirect tier songs in which the lyrical content of the song is bursting with animal references: Fee, Scent of A Mule, Timber, Gumbo, Camel Walk, Birds of A Feather, McGrupp, Buffalo Bill, Dog Log, Dog Stole Things, Dog Faced Boy. And then there are songs with stories about main characters who are animals: Runaway Jim, Guyute, Harpua.

Throw in a Pink Floyd cover of “Dogs” and you’ve got the recipe for an epic show, which the band already knows about, which is why my prediction is bold yet TRUE! Too bad I’m ruining the surprise for all of you! But I wouldn’t feel right not sharing this with you, because if you miss this show you will be missing one of the most clever musical puns our favorite foursome has ever put on. And remember, you heard it first from Phishtradamus: seer of seers; prognosticator of prognosticators.

I was at the Cincy Zoo in 93. Everyone was expecting the Slave (which was a huge bust out at the time since it had been shelved for awhile). But most people thought they would play an all animal set as well. I don’t think it happened because it was too obvious, and Phish seems to turn right when you expect them to turn left.